Rachel's Fab 4

I wanted to spend a moment and talk about the 4 things that have recently made my life fun, interesting, or easier lately!

1. The Slanket! (http://www.theslanket.com/)

Most of you have seen the infomercial for the Snuggie on TV... who hasn't? Basically it is a blanket that has sleeves sewn into it, so you can wrap up on the couch (or in the work chair!) and be completely warm. The Slanket is so much better than the snuggie b/c it's made out of heavier fleece, and is much warmer! I love it and would highly recommend it to those who are always cold, and not trying to run up the heating bill!

2. Stovetop Popcorn

What a bargain! I wish I had learned about this years ago! I have been microwaving popcorn for years, getting frustrated that not all the kernels are popped, some are burned and some are not, and they're not all evenly seasoned... well those days are over! I'm going back to the way our ancestors did it, on the stove. I don't have one of those old-fashioned popcorn-poppers, I just use a small saucepan. Into the saucepan I pour enough peanut oil (or EVOO if I'm eating with Mike) to coat the bottom, turn the heat to medium, put in one kernel of unpopped corn, and wait. When the one kernel pops, it's time to add more. I add just enough to cover the bottom of the pan in one layer, put the lid back on and wait! In the meantime, microwave or heat in a saute pan about 2 tablespoons of 1/2 butter 1/2 margarine and then add to that whatever seasoning I'm feeling that day, usually Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb. The pot of popping corn starts to pop a lot, and oil drips down the sides, so I'm handy with a kitchen towel to catch it before it hits the burner. When all the corn is popped, pour into a bowl and drizzle the butter mixture on top! Voila! It is SO yummy and much cheaper! PLUS 3 cups of popped popcorn has 4 grams of fiber!

And here's the price comparison:

1 box of 5 bags of microwave popcorn (5-10 servings) $3.99

1 container of unpopped corn (50-60 servings) $3.99

3. Jergen's Natural Glow Lotion

This white girl thinks that this lotion is one of the best things ever invented for summer! It gives me a natural, non-orangey tint that just makes me look healthier, not so pale and pasty. I'm big on SPF now, especially on my face, and I don't want to do anything that will cause me to get all wrinkly or give me skin cancer... so Jergens to the rescue! And now they make it firming, and it is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of cellulite in as little as 7 days? Gen-YUS! Well I guess I'll have to test that in the Couts lab...

4. The Real Housewives of New York City

Bravo's 2nd installment of the housewives is one of my faves. First there was Orange County (which I also love), the NY, then Atlanta (gross), and coming this summer New Jersey! But I love these housewives... they are hilarious. Their accents, demeanor, and of course the funny way they relate to each other cracks me up. They all claim to be a great judge of character and have amazing class, but as I sit there watching them, they fail almost every single time. Jill is the loud Jewish lady who is spoiled by her husband Bobby and truly loves life. Ramona is the pop-eyed lunatic who thinks she knows everything better than everyone. Bethenny (my favorite) is the confident, dark, witty, cynical single girl who just wants to find love. Alex & Simon (yes, I'm including the husband) always bothered me a little bit b/c of their snobbery and pretentiousness, but they are starting to grow on me... they're happy in their marriage, love their kids, so more power to 'em. Kelly seemed like a pointless addition at the beginning of the season, but as it has moved on, I'm so glad they brought her on... she's a dim-witted model who can't get enough of herself. And last but not least, there's LuAnn... ah, the Countess. I liked her last season, but she won't stop throwing her dumb title in everyone's face... she talks about how she went from being a regular girl, and American Indian to being a Countess.... didn't take a lot of work, actually... all you had to do was marry a count. Gosh. She is so pretentious it drives me nuts! But she's fun to watch!

Check out the Housewives! Tuesday night, 10/9 Central on Bravo! It is mind-numbing, second only to The Hills!

Catch-Up

So basically this is what I need to do. Catch up. A lot has happened since I last updated! Well when I last updated, Mike was out of the country on business again, and alas, he is still gone. This was supposed to be a 7 week adventure, and it has turned into more like a 13 week nightmare... OK maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit. It's so hard to have your sweetie gone so much, it's like every hour of those first few days he's gone just drags. Almost on the edge of tears the whole time. It never gets easy.

This time when he left, though, I prayed probably harder than any other time... I prayed that God would show me strength I'd never seen before, and give both of us the endurance to get through this one last trip overseas. That day was one of the best work days I've had in a long time (that's saying a LOT), and I kept saying to myself all day, "Wow. I can't believe you're OK. You're not crying." I was shocked. But you know? That's exactly what I prayed for! So why was I shocked again??....

One of the best things about Mike being gone is that I got to visit him! March 19-24 I spent in Birmingham, England with my honey. This was my first trip overseas!
Day 1: I arrived looking dissheveled, wondering what day it was, and after a shower and a cat-nap I was as good as new! He showed me around the area where he's living, a rich suburb of Birmingham called Solihull. There's a mall and a library right across the street from the hotel so I was hooked up.
Day 2: LONDON Baby! We spent the entire day in London, and, I'm pretty sure we saw it all. It helps when you don't do anything that costs money. We walked for-EVER and saw all the highlights! We even took a flight on the London Eye, the amazing ferris-wheel-like ride that gives you a birds-eye view of the city! Amazing! We took a train from Solihull to London and did the following: Buckingham Palace, Green Park, Oxford Street, Oxford Circus, Palace of the Guard, Big Ben/Westminster Abbey/Houses of Parliament, Scotland Yard, posed in a phone booth, took the Tube most places, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Harrod's, Picadilly Circus, Hyde Park, and I think that's it. Actually I had been suffering from an acute case of plantar fasciitis before we left (foot pain) and after London, my foot pain was gone! Who knew? It was a great day.
Day 3: Well we were going to Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare's home, but when we woke up Sunday morning, walking around like 90 year olds (sore from walking), we decided against it. Instead we drove to downtown Birmingham and I haven't been that scared in a long time. Mike was right... driving in England is like driving on a go-kart track. All I could say was "PLEASE just get me a blindfold and a cigarette." SCARY.
Day 4: Mike went to work and I milled around town... ate lunch at the mall, read some, saw a movie at the mall, ran on the treadmill at the hotel and shopped some more. There was even a Pilates class there at the hotel gym, but for 3 pounds I passed it up. Are you kidding me?
Day 5: I left. And cried a river. I was so pathetic, sitting in that foreign airport, with tears running down my face.

But Mike returned just a few days later! Yay! If only for a few weeks, but these days I'll take what I can get. Having him here is so wonderful, and it's great to know that the next time he comes, he'll be back for GOOD. In the past when he would come back, it was like I was just holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now, he MINE!

This has been one of the biggest growing periods of my entire life. But I've found that each time I go through a growing period it seems like it's the biggest one. Looking back, I can totally see some of the ways that God was providing for us by having Mike away during this time... most of all, we were planning on buying a house this year! But the Lord is making us wait another year b/c there's NO way that we would have saved enough, and no way that I would have wanted to or should have gone thru the home buying process without Mike.

Also, the Lord is always growing me, and I shouldn't be surprised because I ask for it... for the first time, I'm actually looking forward to this last trip without Mike in a way because I'm able to use it for God's glory! I have SO much time to spend encouraging my friends and I also have 5 cooking shows scheduled for the month of May! Wow! AND on top of that, it allows me more freedom to work all the required overtime my company has laid on us.

Praise the Lord for his faithfulness! Let me share a song that has encouraged me in the past few weeks, just the chorus actually. Some of you may know that I am a super-huge fan of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, so here goes:

Still I will trust you
Still I will follow
Still I will listen to your every calling
While the storm rages on
And I can't find my way
Still I will trust you Lord

YES!!